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PROCEEDINGS 
Charleston^ South- Carolina* 



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PROCEEDINGS 



Citizens of Charleston, 



INCENDIARY MACHINATIONS, 



NOW IN PROGRESS 



Against the Peaee and Welfare 



SOUTHERN STATES. 



PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF COUNCIL. 



CHARLESTON: 
PRINTED BY A. E. MILLER, 

No. 4 Broad -street. 

1835. 



E441 



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CITY COUNCIL, Aug. 11th, 1835. 

Resolved, That a Committee be appointed to carry into 
effect the Resolutions adopted by the Citizens at their 
meeting on the 10th inst. so far as the duties under the 
same devolve on Council, and that said Committee be 
instructed to attend upon the successive arrivals of Steam- 
Boat Mails from New- York, and elsewhere, if necessary, 
and see that said Mails are conducted to the Post-Office 
for examination under the inspection of the Post-Master. 

The Committee are Messrs. Seymour, Bryan, Graves, 
Magrath, Henry, and the Intendant requested to act as 
Chairman. 

Resolved, That the above Resolution' be published, and 
a copy furnished the Post-Master, the Agent of the Steam 
Packets, and the President of the Rail-Road Company. 

From the Minutes. 

WILLIAM ROACH, 

Clerk of Council. 



AN ADJOURNED 
Meeting of the Citizens of Charleston, 

SO UTH- C.lll OLIJIW, 

Was held in the City-Hall on the 10th of August, to 
'receive the Report of the Committee of Twenty-one : who 
were appointed at a previous meeting, and consisted of 
the following gentlemen : 

ROBERT Y. HAYNE, 
THOMAS LOWNDES, 
NATHANIEL HEYWARD, 
WILLIAM READ, 
BENJAMIN F. DUNKIN, 
JOHN ROBINSON, 
JAMES ROBERTSON, 
CHARLES EDMONDSTON, 
EDWARD CAREW, 
HENRY A. DESAUSSURE, 
RENE GODARD, 
JAMES LYNAH, 
TRISTRAM TUPPER, 
MARTIN RODDY, 
EDWARD R. LAURENS, 
SAMUEL P. RIPLEY, 
JOHN L. PEZANT, 
MYER JACOBS, 
JOHN STROHECRER, 
WILLIAM KIRKWOOD. 



HIS Honour, the INTENDANT, being called 
to the Chair, and William Patton, Esq. ap- 
pointed Secretary, Judge COLCOCK, as Chair- 
man of the Committee, addressed the meeting, 
explaining the acts and objects of the Commit- 
tee, and submitted the Preamble and Resolu- 
tions following, which were unanimously adopt- 
ed, the Resolutions being separately put and 
carried. 

PREAMBLE. 

THE Committee of Twenty-one, to whom was refer- 
red the important subject on winch the citizens of Charles- 
ton were lately convened, beg leave to Report — that they 
have had the matter referred to them under due delibera- 
tion, and recommend the adoption of the annexed Reso- 
lutions. The Committee have purposely abstained from 
any laboured argument on the subject of Slavery, not from 
any inability to sustain, on moral and scriptural grounds, 
its existence and toleration as now established in South- 
Carolina, but from a deep conviction of the fixed resolu- 
tion of the people of this State, to permit no discussion 
within her limits, of Rights, which she deems inherent 
and inseparable from the very existence of the State ; 
rights which existed before the Union was formed, and 
which were guaianteed to her by the Federal Constitution, 
when, as a Sovereign State, she became a member of 
the Confederacy. The Committee, therefore, submit the 
following RESOLUTIONS for the adoption of the Citi- 
zens, without further comment: 



8 

1. Resolved, That we hold it to be an unquestionable truth,, 
that the subject of Slavery as it now exists in the Slave holding 
States of this Union, is, in all its bearings, a DOMESTIC 
QUESTION, belonging exclusively to the citizens of these- 
States ; — that the people of no other State have any right to in- 
terfere therewith, in any manner whatsoever — and that such in- 
terference is utterly inconsistent with the Federal compact, and 
cannot be submitted to. 

2. Resolved, Thai we regard with the utmost indignation and 
abhorrence, the proceedings of those INCENDIARIES in some 
of our Sister States, who, under the name of " Anti-Slavery So- 
cieties," and other specious appellations, are endeavouring to 
undermine our Institutions, regardless of the fatal consequences 
which must inevitably result from the prosecution of their nefari- 
ous schemes, which, if successful, could not fail to involve the 
Southern States in ruin, and produce the utter destruction of that 
class of persons for whose welfare they pretend to be so solici- 
tous. 

The statements recently put forth of the existence at this time, 
of 250 such Societies in thirteen States, and the weekly issue 
from a single Press in the City of New- York, of from 25 to 
50,000 copies of these Incendiary Pamphlets and Papers, with 
which our Public Mail has been lately burdened, and which are 
now spreading their deleterious influence throughout the South- 
ern States — admonish us of the absolute necessity of taking 
prompt and decisive measures, to avert the dire calamities which 
such proceedings are so well calculated to produce. 

3. Resolved, That these proceedings have brought about a 
crisis, which makes an earnest, and we trust it may prove an irre- 
sistible appeal, to all such of our Fellow-Citizens in the non-Slave 
holding States as may disapprove of these Societies and their 
measures, calling upon them by every consideration of duty and 



of patriotism, to manifest that disapprobation, not merely by the 
expression of their opinions, but by the most active, zealous and 
persevering efforts to put down these Associations, and to sup- 
press that fanatical spirit, which in pursuing an imaginary good, 
is regardless of the fatal consequences which are inseparable even 
from its continued prosecution, among which, not the least to be 
lamented, would be THE CERTAIN DESTRUCTION OF 
THE UNION. 

4. Resolved, That under our political system, where a number 
©f Sovereign States are united together by a written compact in 
a Federal Union, for special purposes only, each member of such 
an union has an unquestionable right to expect and require, (what 
is indeed the very basis of such a connexion) that no interference 
whatever shall take place with her DOMESTIC POLICY, or 
PECULIAR INSTITUTIONS, either by the constituted au- 
thorities of the Federal or other State Governments, or by the 
people of other States, and it is the imperative duty of each 
State, to prevent, by suitable penalties and provisions, their owu 
citizens from being guilty of any such interference with the Do- 
mestic policy of any other State. 

5. Resolved, That the Post-Office establishment cannot con- 
sistently with the Constitution of the United States, and the ob- 
jects of sudi an institution, be converted into an instrument for 
the dissemination ot Incendiary publications, and that it is the 
duty of the Federal Government to provide that it shall not be so 
prostituted, which can easily be effected by merely making it un- 
lawful to transport by the Public Mail, thioiigh the limits of any 
State, any seditious Papers, forbidden by the laws of such State 
to be introduced or circulated therein, and by adopting the ne- 
cessary regulations to effect this object. 

6. Resolved, That in the event of no effectual measures being 
adopted either by the General or State Governments, or by the 



10 

people of the non-slave holding States, for the suppression of the 
great and growing evil of which we complain, it will become the 
solemn duty of all these States having a common interest with us 
on this subject, to adopt the most decisive and efficacious mea- 
sures TO PROTECT THEMSELVES. 

7. Resolved, That for the purpose of making such an earnest 
appeal to the people of the non-slave holding States, as may 
convince them of the true state of public feeling among us, it 
would in the opinion of this meeting be desirable to bring about a 
cordial co-operation among all the States having a common in- 
terest with us, either through a CONVENTION or in any other 
way best calculated to embody public sentiment, so that THE 
TRUTH MAY BE MADE KNOWN, that however we may 
differ among ourselves on other points, we are on this subject 
UNITED AS ONE MAN IN THE FIXED AND UNAL- 
TERABLE DETERMINATION TO MAINTAIN OUR 
RIGHTS, AND DEFEND OUR PROPERTY AGAINST 
ALL ATTACKS,— BE THE CONSEQUENCES WHAT 
THEY MAY. 

8. Resolved, That we have no doubt of the right of each State 
to provide by law against the introduction of a moral pestilence, 
calculated to endanger its existence, and to give authority to their 
Courts, adequate to the suppression of the evil ; and we, there- 
fore, respectfully submit to the Legislature of this State the pro- 
priety of passing laws (should those now of force not be adequate 
to the object) commensurate with the means now practised against 
us, and especially giving authority to the Judges, by proper 
warrants, 10 seixe and destroy, and requiring all persons to deliver 
up to be destroyed, all incendiary publications which may be 
brought into this State, calculated to excite domestic insurrection, 
or to disturb the tranquillity, happiness and safety of the people. 

9. Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted 
bv the Chairman of this meeting to the Governor of this State, 



11 



with a request that the same may be laid before the Legislature, 
in order that they may take such measures as to them may seem 
proper. That copies be also transmitted to our fellow-citizens in 
each Judicial District of this State, requesting their concurrence in 
the sentiments herein expressed. That the Honourable the City 
Council be requested to cause to be printed at the public expense 
5000 copies of the foregoing resolutions for general distribution, 
and that His Honor, the Intendant, be requested officially to 
transmit to the Intendant or Mayor of each Incorporated City or 
Town in the United States a copy thereof, and that a sufficient 
number of copies be furnished to the Chairman of the Committee, 
to be by him transmitted in our behalf to such persons indifferent 
portions of the Union as may probably be disposed to concur 
with us in the sentiments herein expressed. 

10. Resolved, That the Intendant and Wardens be earnestly 
requested to exert their utmost vigilance in detecting and bringing 
to punishment all persons who may be in any way engaged in 
furthering in this State the dangerous schemes of the Anti- Slave- 
ry Society, or other evil disposed persons ; and that, if necessary, 
they do call upon the citizens to aid them in the performance of 
this duty, and the citizens here present do pledge themselves col- 
lectively and individually, to use their utmost efforts to aid and 
assist the Constituted authorities in the perfoimance ot this impor- 
tant duty 

11. Resolved, That the City Council be also requested to take 
the proper measures to secure the strict performance of the duty 
imposed by the law upon the Harbor Master, of keeping a correct 
list of all the persons arriving to and departing from this Port, 
and that they also request the President and Directors of the 
Rail-Road Company, to have correct lists of all persons arriving 
and departing by that conveyance, whether white, free coloured, 
or slaves, and that mrasure, be taken to have these lists regularly 
examined, to the intent that Incendiaries and other evil disposed 



n 



persons coming amongst us, or attempting to pass through thi 
State, may be detected and exposed. 

12. Resolved, That these proceedings be signed by the Chan 
man and Secretary, and published in all the papers of this State 
and as it is desirable that the sentiments of the people of tli 
Southern States on this subject, should be generally known, w 
respectfully request that the public presses throughout the Unite 
States will make their readers acquainted with these our proceed 
lng S — which we doubt not contain a faithful expression of th 
sentiments of those States, without distinction of parties. 

C. J. COLCOCK, Chairman. 
Edward R. Laurens, Secretary. 

On motion of H. Bailey, Esq. seconded by R. Yeadon, Esi 

Resolved, That the thanks of this meeting be returned to t\ 

Committee, for their able, zealous and patriotic discharge of tl 

duties assigned to them, and for the measures adopted b}' the 

for the preservation of the public order and safety. 

EDWARD W. NORTH, Chairman. 
William Patton, Secretary. 



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